Gluten-Free Cardamom Cake| Melt-in-your-mouth
This recipe is a clear winner when it comes to baking a gluten-free cardamom cake. It’s Super-powers – Aromatic green cardamom and soft buttery texture.
What is the difference between cardamom and green cardamom?
In most Indian households you’ll find both green and black cardamoms.
Flavor:
- Green cardamom has a sweet, floral, herbal, minty, and citrus aroma. Most Indian desserts use green cardamom for it’s fresh, distinctive flavor.
- Black Cardamom has a stronger, more punget flavor. They are used for giving a rich, strong, smoky flavor to savory dishes.
Medicinal Usage:
They are used in Ayurveda for treating digestive ailments, asthma, sleep disorders, mouth ulcers etc.
- Green cardamom is a commonly used breath freshener and is offered after meals in most Indian homes.
- Black cardamom helps ease both constipation and diarrhea. Green cardamom helps reduce nausea.
- Green cardamom is a diuretic and reduces blood pressure levels.
Xantham Gum in Gluten-free baking
The use of Xanthan gum in gluten-free recipes helps get stickiness and moisture in baked goods. Through several attempts, I have found that a ratio of 1/4 tsp xanthan gum for 1 cup of gluten-free flour works well. However, please avoid using xanthan gum in your recipes if you have severe wheat or soy allergies. Please refer here for tips on Xanthan gum substitutes.
About this Recipe: Gluten-Free Cardamom Cake
I learned this method from my father. He always used to say, a recipe that uses weights is the most accurate and can never go wrong. This recipe uses the weight of the eggs to determine the weight of flour, butter and sugar.
- Weigh all 4 eggs. In my case, the weight of 4 eggs was 249 gms (Pic#1). Then, I removed 1 egg and noted the weight. It was 200 gms.
- I took Sorghum flour 130 gms, and almond flour 50 gms to match the weight of 3 eggs. (Pic #2)
- My family likes the cake to be moderately sweet, so I take about 50 gms less sugar than the weight of the eggs.
- I love the flavor of brown sugar in my baked recipes. I use a 1:3 ratio of white and brown sugar, 100 gms of white sugar and 50 gms of brown sugar.
- I used a combination of Vegetable oil and butter in this recipe to get a buttery texture and balance the calories :).
How to make A Gluten-Free Cardamom Cake?
Ingredients:
4 Large eggs
100 gms White sugar
50 gms Brown Sugar
130 gms Gluten-Free Sorghum Flour
50 gms Gluten-Free Almond Flour
1.5 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Xanthan gum
1.5 tsp Freshly ground Green Cardamom powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 stick Unsalted Butter (114 gms)
1/3 cup Vegetable oil
Step by Step Process: Gluten-Free Cardamom Cake
Preparation:
- Leave the eggs and butter outside to have them at room temperature.
- Grind 6-8 pods of green cardamom along with their skin for a fresh aromatic taste.
- If your xantham gum is in crystal form, make a fine powder in a small blender.
- Grease a baking dish (about 9″ inch in radius), line it with parchment paper and set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.
The Batter:
- Sieve together the sorghum flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. (Pic#1)
- Add Xanthan Gum and sieve. (Pic#2), also add in cardamom powder.
- Make sure your butter is softened, if not microwave it for 10-20 seconds.
- In a stand mixer or in a bowl using a hand blender, whisk together butter and white sugar for about 2-3 minutes to get a white fluffy mix. (Pic#3)
- Add brown sugar and blend it well. Pic#4
- Add the egg white of one egg and three whole eggs. Also add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Blend the eggs until well combined and fluffy (Pic#5). Add the vegetable oil and blend well.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mix and pour in the wet mix. (Pic#6)
- Using a spatula, mix well, taking care not to over mix.
- Pour the batter into the lined baking dish. (Pic#7)
- Sprinkle sliced almonds (optional) (Pic#8)
Baking:
- Place the dish in the center rack and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. (Pic#9)
- Check for readiness by inserting a toothpick/ skewer in the center. If it comes out clean, turn off the oven and let the baking dish be in the oven for 4-5 minutes.
- Place on a wire rack to cool. Pic#10
- Enjoy! Pic#11
Gluten-Free Cardamom Cake
This recipe is a clear winner when it comes to baking a gluten-free cardamom cake. Super-powers: Aromatic green cardamom and soft buttery texture.
Equipment
- 1 Hand Blender
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs
- 100 gms White Cane Sugar
- 50 gms Brown Sugar
- 150 gms Sorghum Flour (Jowar) Gluten-Free
- 50 gms Almond Flour Gluten-Free
- 1½ tsp Baking powder Gluten-Free
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1½ tsp Freshly Ground Cardamom
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Stick Butter (114 gms)
- ⅓ cup Vegetable oil
Instructions
Preparation
- Leave the eggs and butter outside to have them at room temperature.
- Grind 6-8 pods of green cardamom along with their skin for a fresh aromatic taste.
- If your xanthan gum is in crystal form, make a fine powder in a small blender.
- Grease a baking dish (about 9" inch in radius), line it with parchment paper and set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.
The Batter:
- Sieve together the sorghum flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add Xanthan Gum and sieve. (Pic#2), also add in cardamom powder.
- Make sure your butter is softened, if not microwave it for 10-20 seconds. In a stand mixer or in a bowl using a hand blender, whisk together butter and white sugar for about 2-3 minutes to get a white fluffy mix.
- Add brown sugar and blend it well.
- Add the egg white of one egg and three whole eggs. Also add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Blend the eggs until well combined and fluffy (Pic#5). Add the vegetable oil and blend well.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mix and pour in the wet mix.
- Using a spatula, mix well, taking care not to over mix. Pour the batter into the lined baking dish.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds (optional)
Baking:
- Place the dish in the center rack and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
- Check for readiness by inserting a toothpick/ skewer in the center. If it comes out clean, turn off the oven and let the baking dish be in the oven for 4-5 minutes.
- Place on a wire rack to cool.